The EarBlog

Audio Creative News – Issue 5

The top 10 Cannes radio that actually sell stuff.

Public service ads dominate award shows. They’re the ones that persuade us to stick to the speed limit, become an organ donor, or stop smoking. Essentially, they’re raising awareness for things we already agree with.

Last year, out of all the categories broadcast on Australian radio, only 7% were Public Service.

The figures in The States and UK are similar. Yet, at Cannes they represented 30% of all awarded entries (54 of 177). So, it’s pretty clear which category ambitious creatives focus their efforts on.

Surely degree of difficulty needs to be factored in, and we all know it’s much harder to promote the benefits of a new car than the benefits of wearing a seatbelt.

As a judge, I look for any work that elicits an emotional response, and if a piece of work for a cold, heartless brand that exists only to only to turn a profit can achieve that, it’ll get my vote every time.

With that in mind, we went back and re-listened to this year’s Cannes winners to bring you the top 10 radio ads that actually sell stuff.

Because we believe selling stuff is a tricky business and we wanted to give a shout out to those who have done it exceptionally well.

Public service ads dominate award shows. They’re the ones that persuade us to stick to the speed limit, become an organ donor, or stop smoking. Essentially, they’re raising awareness for things we already agree with ...